Birmingham 1789-1906

Today Birmingham is home to almost a million people,
but less than 300 years ago it was still a small manor
and parish.
And yet by the early 19th century it had grown to such an extent
that in 1807 the writer Robert Southey commented: 'Probably
in no other age or country was there ever such an astonishing
display of human ingenuity as may be found in Birmingham.'

Birmingham's growth and development was, like
that of most towns and cities, due to a combination of the activities
of business entrepreneurs, political reformers and ordinary
people. Although it had its share of exploitation and poverty,
this city was a model of transformation from rural marketplace
to thriving industrial centre. It was also an example that other
towns and cities across Britain followed to achieve similar
progress.

Major changes

In its early days as a manor Birmingham had no trading laws
restricting merchants and craftsmen, so they were able to
sell their goods freely. People from the surrounding area
were attracted by this lack of restrictions and increasingly
set themselves up as traders in Birmingham.

By 1789 Birmingham was an expanding
industrial centre, with a population of around 50,000. It was
run with the small-scale methods of the manor and the parish.
There had been attempts to change this unusual position as early
as 1716, and the Improvement Acts passed in 1769 and 1773 gave
limited powers to a Board of Street Commissioners. The Board
was responsible for keeping the streets clear, safe and convenient.
These Acts were also a recognition of the fact that Birmingham
was becoming a town and therefore needed greater management.

Further Acts in 1801, 1812 and 1828 widened these
powers, and improvements such as the building of the Public
Office, the opening of Smithfield Market and the introduction
of gas street lighting followed. Birmingham was well on its
way to becoming a major town, but more was to come.

Railways

In 1838 the London to Birmingham railway was finally completed,
after almost five years of construction and with the labour
of around 20,000 men. The railway had an enormous impact on
the city. Economic growth was hugely stimulated; during the
next decade Birmingham's population increased to over 140,000,
and by the 1860s the figure had rocketed to more than a quarter
of a million.

From slums to sanitation

The effects of the sudden massive growth in Birmingham's
population were obvious. Already by the 1830s most people
were housed in dirty and sewage-ridden slum areas. Thousands
were living in tenement buildings, often sharing a washhouse
and just one communal toilet. Disease and squalor were rife
and it became crucial to introduce clean and sanitised housing,
but this would not happen until the 1860s.

As well as protesting about the issue
of slums, ordinary people were also calling for the ending of
'rotten boroughs'. These were so called because they had very
few voters in them, yet could still elect members of the House
of Commons (who often used bribes to guarantee their success).
At the same time, Birmingham, a large city, did not have any
MPs at all until 1832, when Thomas Attwood and Joshua Scholefield
were elected to Parliament.

Birmingham was a strong centre of support for
the Reform
Bill, passed in the same year, which brought these changes
about. Rotten boroughs were finally wiped out with the passing
of the Municipal Corporations Act in 1835. This Act also paved
the way for Birmingham's incorporation
as an industrial town with its own council. In 1838, the town
finally received its charter
and its first elected council took office.

Political change, public order

With the growth of the population came poor living conditions,
dissatisfaction and an increase in public disorder. This unrest
culminated in the Chartist
disturbances of 1839. The Council therefore needed to create
an effective police force: although attempts at policing the
streets had been made in the past, they had not been very
successful because of lack of funds.

However, before the Council could act, matters
were taken out of its hands and the Birmingham Police Act of
1839 was passed. The Act took control of the police away from
the Council. It authorised the Home Office to establish a force
of around 250 constables and 50 officers to begin policing the
streets, and a commissioner answerable to the Home Office was
appointed to manage the force.

In 1842 the Council took back control
of the police; and gradually the Council's other powers increased,
enabling it to make significant improvements in public services.
One of the leading figures in these reforms was Joseph Chamberlain,
who joined the Council in 1867 and held the office of mayor
between 1873 and 1876. His major achievements during this time
included making the gas and water supplies public and demolishing
many of Birmingham's slums.

In 1889 Birmingham was awarded
city status. The remarkable transformation from manor and
parish to local government was complete, setting the standard
for the development of other towns and cities across Britain.